police brutality

A retired teacher was killed during bloody clashes between teachers and police three days ago, in the southern Mexican city of Acapulco. Thirteen protesters have also disappeared. The teaching community is in shock, as our Observer explains. Read more…

Several Chinese law enforcement officials were nearly beaten to death in the city of Cangnan after a brutal backlash by local residents. Riots broke out when five officers – known as ‘Chengguan’ – violently assaulted a man who refused to stop taking photos of them. Read more...

An amateur video showing police brutality has shocked France, in a scene that takes place in Joué-lès-Tours, a suburb of Tours. The video, filmed by a resident from his balcony, shows two policemen brutally arresting several people. An officer hits, insults and sprays tear gas at one of the women. Read more...

A video showing a group of policemen sexually assaulting two women in Congo-Brazzaville’s capital city has caused a public outcry since being uploaded to YouTube last Sunday. We spoke to an Observer who told us this shocking footage puts the spotlight on police brutality, which he says is widespread in his country. Read more...

According to several of our Observers who have been taking part in protests in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the tear gas used by police has had a devastating effect on protesters. Concerns over the substance’s dangerous effects and its legality have spread rapidly on the Egyptian Web. Read more…

A video showing a female protester shot dead by a sniper in the southern city of Taiz has prompted thousands of women to take to the streets in Yemen. Our Observers say the participation of women could breathe new life into the protest movement. Read more…

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera called for a dialogue with demonstrators on Sunday after three months of protests culminated in violence during last week’s two-day national strike. Yet, as protest leaders prepare to meet with Pinera over the unrest, videos and stories of unprovoked police brutality have surfaced on the Internet, putting the country’s policing tactics into question. Read more...

Images of Syrian armed forces opening fire at a protesting crowd have become so frequent that they’re almost routine. It’s when they don’t shoot that it comes as a surprise. That’s what makes this footage of soldiers peacefully chatting with residents of the city of Homs on July 17 so unusual. Read more…

Hip-hop fans gathered at New York City’s Tammany Hall in the Lower East Side on Tuesday, June 28, for a record release party, featuring performances from various artists. Part way through the evening the event was broken up by police, who scuffled with concert-goers in the street, leaving five people injured in the fray. Watch the video...